1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel (PDP), and more particularly, to a PDP that prevents heights of barrier ribs from abnormally increasing at positions where a phosphor dispensing process starts and ends so as to improve discharge performance and uniformity of a panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a PDP forms images by using visible ray emitted from phosphors excited due to plasma discharge. In the PDP, a predetermined voltage is applied to electrodes provided in a discharge space, so that plasma discharge occurs between the electrodes. Phosphor layers having predetermined patterns are excited due to vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) rays generated during the plasma discharge. The PDP forms images by using the visible ray generated when the phosphor layers are stabilized.
The PDP includes a rear substrate, a plurality of address electrodes formed on the rear substrate, a dielectric layer covering the address electrodes, a plurality of barrier ribs that are formed on the dielectric layer so as to keep a discharging gap and prevent cross talk generated between discharge cells, and a phosphor layer formed on the surfaces of the barrier ribs.
Further, the PDP includes a front substrate, discharging electrodes formed on the front substrate, a dielectric layer covering the discharging electrodes, and a protective layer covering the dielectric layer. The discharging electrodes are separated from the address electrodes with a predetermined gap and have a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the address electrodes.
The front substrate and the rear substrate are sealed to each other, and inert gas such as neon (Ne) and xenon (Xe) is filled in the discharge cell. The inert gas generates the VUV rays during the plasma discharge.
The barrier ribs are formed on the rear substrate and the phosphor layer is then formed using, for example, a method of discharging a phosphor paste through a plurality of nozzles provided in a dispenser.
In the dispensing process, the phosphor paste injected from the nozzles is discharged onto dummy barrier ribs in a dummy area at positions where the dispensing process starts and ends. For this reason, the heights of the dummy barrier ribs become abnormally increased.
As the heights of the dummy barrier ribs abnormally increase at both edges, uniformity of a panel is lessened over the entire PDP in which the rear substrate and the front substrate are sealed to each other.
In addition, since the gap between the rear substrate and the front substrate is increased, cross talk occurs in the discharge cells of the display area that is adjacent to the positions where the dispensing process starts and ends and discharge performance deteriorates.